What type of infection is typically associated with granuloma formation?

Granuloma formation is most commonly associated with chronic infections. This process occurs when the immune system attempts to contain a persistent pathogen that it cannot eliminate. Granulomas are aggregates of macrophages that transform into epithelioid cells, surrounded by lymphocytes and other immune cells. This structure is a hallmark of a prolonged immune response, often seen in infections such as tuberculosis, leprosy, and certain fungal infections.

Chronic infections differ from acute infections, which are characterized by a rapid onset and often a resolutive immune response. In chronic infections, the persistence of the pathogen prompts the formation of granulomas as the body attempts to isolate and control the infection over an extended period. Localized infections might involve inflammation at a specific site but do not necessarily lead to granuloma formation. Systemic infections often spread throughout the body and might provoke a generalized immune response, but granulomas are typically a response to localized chronic infections rather than systemic ones.